Switching between AT&T 3G and 2G networks
To battle a reception problem (can't send/receive calls or texts) I'm having with AT&T's 3G network, I had to force my iPhone to connect to their 2G (Edge) network while AT&T works out their local tower problems. To do that I touched:
- Settings
- General
- Network
- Enable 3G (turned off)
Lesson learned: If you're having reception problems and power cycling your phone doesn't work, try turning off the 3G before calling AT&T to see if you can connect to the 2G network. Normally, if 3G isn't available, the iPhone should default to 2G. In my case, the problem seemed to be intermittent so my phone was bouncing between both networks, unable to actually connect to either.
Has AT&T Sabotaged its Own 3G Network? | The iPhone FAQ
Eight second ping times? If you don't know what that means, just think "real slow." A normal ping time over the 3G network should be around 200 milliseconds (that's 40 times faster than eight seconds).Why do some connections initiate right away while others take eight seconds or longer? Telecom blogger Brough Turner has researched the problem and explained that AT&T's network configuration could be to blame.
via Has AT&T Sabotaged its Own 3G Network? | The iPhone FAQ.
Scanning UPCs on the iPhone screen
I was at Kohl's the other day and was in line to pay when I realized I forgot to print out an online coupon (KTC). I asked the lady if she could try scanning the UPC from the coupon I had in my email. She agreed, and it worked! I didn't have anything to actually give to her at that point (usually they take the paper coupon) so I don't know if that complied with Kohl's policies, but regardless, it worked. So if you get coupons in your email and you have an iPhone or some other smart phone, give it a try. Maybe you'll save a tree.
Blank your monitor firefox plugin.
One of my favorite things about Compiz is the ability to apply a negative effect to any window. I use it all the time on the web browser, especially on sites that are mostly white with black text. I recently came across a great firefox plugin called Blank Your Monitor that pretty much applies the same effect. It's experimental so try it at your own risk.
iPhone Update 3.1.2… No Battery Fix? | The iPhone FAQ
Officially, the 3.1.2 Software Update, available using iTunes, fixes the following issues:
- Resolves sporadic issue that may cause iPhone to not wake from sleep
- Resolves intermittent issue that may interrupt cellular network services until restart
- Fixes bug that could cause occasional crash during video streaming
via iPhone Update 3.1.2... No Battery Fix? | The iPhone FAQ.